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The City of Edina is exploring the idea of Grandview Green, a two-acre green space that could be located directly over Minnesota Highway 100 near the existing 50th Street/Vernon Avenue and Eden Avenue bridges. This location is under consideration because the original topography readily allows for this type of improvement.

Since this land has been tax-exempt for many decades, any new development will generate new tax dollars for the City, School and other taxing agencies. The construction costs of this project can be borne by future development with no anticipated tax increase for Edina residents.

This highway “lid” could provide a friendly and safe pedestrian connection across the highway with fewer conflicts from vehicles getting on and leaving Highway 100. The Grandview Green project could also create new community green space as part of a civic campus near Edina City Hall. New development (public or private) along the eight acres of underused land along the edge of the highway is anticipated to pay for the construction of the new park.

None. I agree with the comment about the noise being a huge factor in such a park being unattractive. I live half a block from Hwy 100 and although we love to have our windows open in the summer, the noise is a problem even after it was resurfaced. Being directly over the highway would be even worse. There are plenty of other venues for events and programming, such as Centennial Lakes and Lake Cornelia's park. Activities and events are better suited for neighborhood parks and other places not exposed to highway traffic noise.

Thanks for sharing your concerns Wallace. Freeway noise is a big issue. Have you visited Longfellow Garden (near Minnehaha Falls) or Fort Snelling? Those are two existing "lids" that span across busy roads and railroad tracks. When I visited, the lack of vehicle noise was noticeable. The sound seems to be absorbed by the concrete, soil, grass and plants that cover the highways.

The development could create a traffic nightmare on 50th and Vernon/Interlachen, which would be a deterrent against going to any programming at the park.

Hasn't the Arts and Culture Commission studied potential events or programming? Doesn't the city do events and programming now? What has been learned from this? What needs or desires are unmet, and why aren't they being met in existing space (or is there a lack of existing space)?

Thanks for your comments Jennifer. Traffic is always a tough issue that needs an informed study.

If this concept progresses, a full transportation study that considers the impacts to local roads, county roads and MnDOT highways would be required. While a Transportation Plan was completed in 2016, the City would need to revisit to make sure that a traffic nightmare is avoided.

The 2016 Grandview transportation study did not look at traffic on 50th east of City Hall or on Interlachen north of the Vernon intersection. Going from memory, under the high density scenario (such as the lid), traffic within the study area was shown to worsen significantly even with proposed road, intersection, and non-motorized improvements. Both Eden and Vernon appear to have more capacity than 50th west of Wooddale and Interlachen to Blake Rd. Can these roads handle the likely increase in traffic without seriously compromising LOS? Many would say LOS is already seriously compromised at peak times. Going forward without having at least a general understanding of the impacts on 50th, especially west of Wooddale, Interlachen, and adjoining neighborhoods is irresponsible.

Re Bill Neuendorf's reply to my initial post: I am very familiar the the Longfellow Garden lid and there is no comparison. That is 2 lanes each direction and a posted speed limit of 40 mph as compared to Hwy 100 with 3 lanes in each direction and a 55 mph speed limit. The train is the electric light rail which does not reach high speeds due to the short distance between the stops at 46th St and 50th St, so it produces little noise under the lid. The lid at Ft Snelling also has a much lower traffic volume than Hwy 100. As far as I can tell, neither of those lids holds events or programing, which is the question being asked here. In other words, it as a faulty comparison.